. >> we get a call from the boston police. and they say, "it's a mad scene down here." >> (chanting): we want ted! >> narrator: it was the night of their first debate. >> "we're going to have to get you an escort to get into the building." they had eight or ten motorcycle police officers there to guide us through the mobs of people at the site. >> narrator: it was 47-year-old mitt romney's first campaign. >> and mitt just has this big smile on his face, and he looks at me and goes, "boy, however this turns out, this really makes it worth it." >> narrator: the race had been close. romney needed a great performance. >> i don't think he had any idea what it was going to be like, because he had never done debates under that pressure. >> narrator: he'd gotten into the race because kennedy looked weak, beatable. >> at the time ted kennedy seemed vulnerable. it was a weak period for kennedy. he looked bad, he sounded bad, and in that way he was vulnerable. >> narrator: he was dramatically overweight. there had been trouble with alcoh